"Resilience is all about being able to overcome the unexpected. Sustainability is about survival. The goal of resilience is to thrive." Jamais Cascio

You've been experiencing fortunate times and then the market turns on you. What is your state of mind, is it optimistic or pessimistic? Perhaps you have been in the best physical condition of your life and then suffered an injury. How do you respond? Are you resilient in the times of uncertainty or do you look for someone to blame for your misfortune? Do you take ownership of your mind or do you relinquish your power to someone or something else?

Your determination to endure your circumstances reinforces the strength of your mental foundation. Psychologist Albert Bandura stated that, "In order to succeed, people need a sense of self-efficacy, to struggle together with resilience to meet the inevitable obstacles and inequities of life." Decide to face your challenges as an opportunity to grow and strengthen your resolve.

When a bone breaks it can heal together stronger than it was before.

What area of life do you need to show resilience? Have you faced a downturn economically? Have you been diagnosed with a health issue that is creating uncertainty in your life? Are you having a relationship struggle that is eroding your spirit? Which area needs your intense focus and undivided attention? Attack it with an attitude of resilience.

Chess prodigy Joshua Waitzkin asserted, "The moment we believe that success is determined by an ingrained level of ability as opposed to resilience and hard work, we will be brittle in the face of adversity."

You can create the state-of-mind to handle any situation that life throws at you. It is not always easy, but you do have the choice. Face your adversity with a fierce resolve and your layers of resilience will multiply exponentially.

Resilience creates positive momentum so think of it as a game. Each day that you can exhibit extreme resilience you develop your mental toughness. Are you mentally tough? Are you resilient?

Elizabeth Edwards said, “Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it’s less good than the one you had before.” And I would add to that by saying you need to build on your new reality. Use the conditions of your new reality to create a better reality. The greatest opportunity you will ever have in your life is right now. The choice is yours.